Thinking simplicity

Simple things look, act, and feel beautiful and natural. However, it is hard to get to the point, in which simplicity rules. Apple is one of the best examples of the success of simplicity. In this text, I will show you how to think to get to this point by thinking differently. Ken Segall´s book Insanely Simply is the main source of this text. It tells about how Apple is using simplicity. I have tried to simplify the most important aspects of thinking simplicity to this text.

Think brutal. Simplicity doesn´t have an on/off switch. You can´t keep things simple if you compromise. Then, you complicate things. Thinking simplicity requires many things. One of the biggest obstacles for you is that your thinking is not brutal enough. You can´t have exceptions and too many rules. You can´t choose the second-best or more complex option to avoid a difficult situation. You have to demand this from your environment. Be brutally honest. It simplifies things. The amount of misunderstandings decreases. You and others don´t have to guess what other people think. You don´t have to be mean, to be honest. Explain your reasons and your honesty is understood. If you do the crappy work, you have to handle honest feedback. Otherwise, simplicity is not for you.

Think small. Groups with fewer members have less complexity. Avoid adding people to a group unless they are essential for the performance. Everybody needs to have a reason to be in the group. It means you too. Don´t offer yourself for a group that doesn´t need you. It is better for them and better for you. Don´t be a tourist. The ultimate decision-maker has to be present whenever the decisions are made. And there has to be only one decision-maker most of the time.

Think minimal. Minimize everything. Do only things you are good at. And do them as well as you can. Keep your options minimal. You will get less confused. Having too many options invites too many liabilities. You will be better understood and more easily remembered when you have created a minimized amount of possibilities to choose from. If you have many messages to deliver for your audience, choose the most important one and get rid of the others. If you have to deliver many messages, find their common theme, and deliver it. Minimizing is hard, but it is worth all the effort. Getting into the essential aspects of the message in a few words is one of the hardest parts of thinking simplicity. Minimize all the extra words and paragraphs. Use images. One image can tell you more than a thousand words.

Think human. Use a human voice. Focus on the benefits you can offer for others and emotions they are likely to feel when you offer them something. Think about why other people do things. Think about the underlying reasons, not the consequences. Have a set of core values and follow them in everything you do and say. Communicate these core values to other people.

Think phrasal. Keep your messages as simple as possible. Forget intelligent and complex words. Keep your sentences simple. Communicate your messages with clarity. Learn this skill and you can express yourself a lot by saying little. If you have to name a product or a service, use simple, short, and natural names and forget the jargon and the model numbers or longer explanations.

Think brevity. Fast is good for simplicity. Forget the irrelevant and go straight to the message. Be direct and forget all formalities. Most things you say are useless. Start fast and lay out the facts as fast as possible. Forget all the extra information. You will look smarter. Let smart people also make their conclusions and let them give their feedback as soon as possible.

Simplicity is a tool for a few people

Simplicity looks easy, but it isn´t. That is why you are in the minority if you are thinking simple. Only a few people can simplify complicated things as far as possible. Going too far is easy too. If you have this ability, it is good for you. It doesn´t mean that simpler ideas are always better. Do not forget about the quality of your ideas. Bad ideas stay bad no matter how much they are simplified. Do not forget this rule. Applying the rules of simplicity works for your advantage only when they bring better results.

-TT